United top as Baggies move third
Premier League review:New QPR manager Harry Redknapp watched from the Old Trafford stands as the visitors surrendered a second-half lead en route to a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United. The bottom side, under the temporary guidance of Mark Bowen, took the lead in the 52nd minute when Jamie Mackie pounced from close range after Anders Lindegaard parried Kieron Dyer’s cross-shot.
But the London team were swiftly undone by two set-pieces, Jonny Evans and Darren Fletcher both on target with headers from Wayne Rooney corners, before Anderson surged forwards and set up Javier Hernandez for a cool finish to settle matters.
Redknapp, 65, was this morning given a two-and-a-half-year contract by Rangers - just 24 hours on from Mark Hughes’s sacking — but will not take charge of the team until Tuesday’s game at Sunderland.
Victory took United back to the top of the Premier League standings ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Chelsea tomorrow.
Aston Villaclimbed out of the bottom three with a deserved share of the spoils against Arsenalat Villa Park, but a single point did little to bolster Arsene Wenger’s hopes of re-igniting his side's hopes of a top-four finish. They lie sixth, a point behind Everton and one ahead of West Ham United, who play Tottenham away tomorrow.
Arsenal needed a fine save from Gunners goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to deny Villa substitute Brett Holman a late winner.
Home boss Paul Lambert was forced to watch the game from the stands after his one match ban but would have taken great heart from the way his side performed against the Gunners.
Republic of Ireland central defender Ciaran Clark had a fine game in limiting the threat of the in-form Lukas Podolski and securing his side’s third clean sheet of the season.
Ireland striker Shane Long scored again as West Bromwich Albionmoved up to third, at least until Chelsea play on tomorrow, winning 4-2 at Sunderlandin the early match of the day.
A fourth successive league win moved West Brom on to 26 points from 13 matches, with only champions Manchester United (30) and Manchester City (28) above them.
West Brom, complete outsiders at the start of the season, went ahead at the Stadium of Light with a superb shot from Zoltan Gera after 30 minutes which goalkeeper Simon Mignolet could only get a hand to. Long doubled the score a minute before the break when Mignolet failed to hold a shot from Chris Brunt, with Long left with the easiest of touches after the ball squirmed from Mignolet's reach.
Craig Gardner pulled a goal back for Sunderland with a deflected free kick before substitute Romelu Lukaku made it 3-1 from the penalty spot nine minutes from time.
